The scantily dressed models working as booth babes to sell new products of the participant companies were a ubiquitous part of the expo so far in its ten-year history. But the organizers have at last decided to set a carpet ban this year.

Organizers of the Shanghai event has implemented a dress code with strict conditions. It bans backless clothing for the staff at the booths representing different companies participating in the event.

If any modeling firm supplying models to the companies participating in the expo violate the terms, huge fines will be slapped, informed the organizers. They could even get banned from the expo.

To implement the ban, they have a sent a platoon of 40 staff with cameras to spot any violation. Chinese model Li Ling was the first to be caught violating the dress code.

She was playing manga/anime character Athena from the Saint Seiya franchise. She was sent out of the expo, but made her into an online celebrity.

The dress code is applicable to visitors also. One visitor was asked to leave the show immediately after arriving at the venue in an all-show dress.

Despite the ban on bikini clad models, the expo marked a record visitor turn out with around 170,000 visitors this year.